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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/25776337">a promise I intend to keep</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/Bitway/pseuds/Bitway'>Bitway</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>AUgust 2020 Writing Challenge [7]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Cardfight!! Vanguard</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>AU-gust 2020, Alternate Universe - Childhood Friends, M/M, there's a time skip at the end but focuses on them as kids, this is v self indulgent ok</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-08-08</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-08-08</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-05 07:09:40</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>889</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/25776337</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/Bitway/pseuds/Bitway</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Tomorrow, Aichi moves. Today, he spends it with Ren.</p>
<p>AUgust Day 7 - Childhood Friends AU</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Sendou Aichi/Suzugamori Ren</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>AUgust 2020 Writing Challenge [7]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/1860877</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>7</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Collections:</b></td><td>AUgust 2020</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>a promise I intend to keep</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>"You're really leaving tomorrow?" Ren asks with a pout. He sits beside Aichi, mimicking the smaller boy by holding his knees against his chest. "Do you really have to go? It's going to be so boring if we can't meet up."</p>
<p>Aichi gives a small nod in response and lets out a sigh.</p>
<p>"My mom says it's for the best…"</p>
<p>Ren doesn't respond, he just keeps up that pout. Aichi glances over and feels guilty for leaving the other boy so soon.</p>
<p>"Sorry…"</p>
<p>"Why are you apologizing, Ai-chan?"</p>
<p>"Because…" He hides his head, hugging himself a little tighter. "It's my fault we're moving…"</p>
<p>His mom had given him the excuse that her work was moving her to a different city. But he knew better. Aichi had overheard her on the phone, trying to speak with his teachers and principal, asking if anything could be done.</p>
<p>They weren't any help. No one was. It was his own fault for being a little weakling. And it was his fault for them having to suddenly move too.</p>
<p>"Instead of moving away," Ren pauses as he jumps to his feet, "why don't we just run away together?"</p>
<p>"What?"</p>
<p>"We can go on all sorts of adventures! And then you wouldn't have to leave!"</p>
<p>"B-But we're just kids, Ren…"</p>
<p>"Well, I think we could manage together."</p>
<p>Aichi keeps quiet after that. He knows Ren won't get angry if he voices his opinion, but he's used to holding back. It didn't help that he couldn't tell if the other boy was serious about this or not either.</p>
<p>"I have an idea! Wait here, okay? I'll be back!"</p>
<p>Before Aichi could say anything, Ren darts off. The smaller boy obeyed, staying seated and letting his thoughts wander.</p>
<p>On one hand, he was a little happy about the move. He could start fresh in a new school, gather some courage and not let himself be walked over by others. On the other hand, he would be leaving the only person who showed him kindness. And as much as he wanted to believe that he would make another friend in a new city, he wasn't too sure if he would.</p>
<p>"I wish I wasn't moving that far away…" Aichi mumbles. He hadn't asked his mom if they could make trips back here now and then. It was a selfish request, he thought, and another burden he didn't want to shove onto her.</p>
<p>"Sorry for the wait!"</p>
<p>When he hears Ren's voice, he lifts his head. He sees the other boy running back and waving at him. One of his hands was hiding behind his back. The red head stops right in front of him and gets down on his knees.</p>
<p>"Here, give me your hand."</p>
<p>Aichi holds out a hand to him. Ren takes it into his own. As he brings his hand out from behind his back, he keeps it as a fist. The boy hums as he slips something onto his ring finger.</p>
<p>"Ta-da!"</p>
<p>As Ren releases his hand, Aichi finds a flower…ring- definitely too small to be a flower crown- handing around his finger. He brings it to his face so he could get a closer. It was a colorful assortment, even for the limit on flowers used. He was afraid to move his hand to much in fear of having any of the petals fly off.</p>
<p>"Whats this for…?" Aichi asks.</p>
<p>"It's so you don't forget me. It's also a promise that we'll meet again one day."</p>
<p>"I…wouldn't be able to forget you, Ren…" Aichi whispers, a small smile forming.</p>
<p>"Really? I'm glad." Ren says with a smile. "I won't forget you either, Aichi."</p>
<p>Aichi's smile wavers as he feels tears beginning to prick at his eyes. He didn't want to go now. He didn't want to leave Ren.</p>
<p>"I-I promise I'll come back…!" He says louder than he ever has before. "And I'll give you one when I come back to!"</p>
<p>"I'll be looking forward to it."</p>
<p>~...~</p>
<p>"I hope this is okay..." Aichi mumbles as he holds up a small silver ring. It had a red flower on it as decoration.</p>
<p>He could never perfect a flower ring like Ren had. It was just too small for him to replicate. The stems kept snapping just when he tied them together, and the fact that the flowers would eventually wilt didn't help either. With the rate he was going with this, he didn't think he could keep his promise. Until he had the idea to buy an actual flower ring instead.</p>
<p>It wasn't anything too fancy or expensive. Aichi had seen it when he was out shopping with his mother. The red glint had caught his eye and the moment he saw it, he knew he had to get it.</p>
<p>Thinking about giving it to Ren made him nervous. He hoped and prayed the other boy remembered him and their promise. He couldn't imagine what it would be like if they met again and the other boy had forgotten him.</p>
<p>"It was a promise," he mutters quietly and holds the ring tightly in the palm of his hand. Blue eyes gaze out the window, taking one last look at the city before him.</p>
<p>Tomorrow, he and his family would move back. And he'd have a chance to run into Ren once more.</p>
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